Car door mechanism



March 7, 1944. w. A. BEAUCHAMP CAR DOOR MECHANISM Filed Jan. 7, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. A. BEAUCHAMP CAR DOOR MECHANISM Filed Jan. 7, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 7, 1944.

M/VENTOE' I W/LFEED, 6'. EEQUCHQMP 9" Wm/ March 1944- w. A. BEAUCHAMP CAR DOOR MECHANiSM Filed Jan. '7. 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 \A \S L E: NRRRAQNRRQNHQHE F552... :1... .15--- Mun-mm On C W U fie mm, m5 M on D w R; an m .f M 9 o ha m N 4 m Patented Mar. 7, 1944 UNITED l STATES PATENT orr cr.

CAR DOOR MECHANISM Wilfred A. Beauchamp, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 7, 1942, Serial No. 425,901

3 Claims.

This invention relates to car door mechanism and is directed primarily to mechanism for lifting frictionally supported sliding car doors and supporting said doors upon antifriction means for opening and closing movements.

It is an object of this invention to provide door mechanism of the character indicated which shall be so compact that it can be used upon cars of varying widths without exceeding the established tunnel clearance lines.

A further object is to provide door mechanism of the character indicated which shall project a shorter distance from the doors to which it is applied than similar mechanisms now in-use and thus obtain an increase in the inside width of cars without exceeding the established tunnel clearance lines.

A further object is to provide mechanism of the character indicated which shall be novel and simple in structure and easily operable.

Other objects ofthe invention will become clear as the description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings, forming part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a partial elevation of a car door to of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, the lift mechanism being omitted for the sake of clarity.

' Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1.

The mechanism embodying the instant invention is shown applied to a sliding metallic door the construction of which, with the exception indicated hereinafter, is well known. The door indicated generally by the reference numeral i0 comprises a metallic panel I l formed with a, plurality of spaced horizontal corrugations l2 which merge into vertical corrugations i3 and it formed adjacent the vertical edges of the panel. The front vertical margin of the panel is reinforced by means of a substantially channel shaped member IS. The lower margin of the panel is reinforced by means of an angle memher It disposed so that one leg I! thereof is horizontal and theother leg I8 is vertical. The horizontal leg I! is adapted to frictionally engage the horizontal leg I 9 of an angle track which is fastened to the side sill 2| of the car by means of a plurality of brackets 22 riveted to the side sill and to the horizontal leg [9 as more clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The vertical leg 23 of the angle track extends downwardly for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

Portions 24 and 25 of the panel are offset ou wardly to a'plane corresponding substantially to that of the crest of the horizontal and vertical corrugations. From Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings it will be seen that the left side of the portion 24 of the panel along the section line 44 merges into the crest of the vertical corrugation is as indicated at 26 and the right side is connected with the main plane of the panel by the outwardly and forwardly inclined section 21. The portion 24 along the section line 5-5 is offset inwardly as indicated at 28 to provide a portion 29. The portion- 25 is offset inwardly as indicated at 30 to provide a portion 3| lying substantially in the main plane of the panel. At the opposite-side the panel portion 24 along the section line 55 is formed similar to. the structure immediately above described. This structure is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

The portion 25 of the panel is shaped similar to the portion 24 and it is believed that a further detailed description of the configuration of the panel portion 25 is not necessary.

As clearly shown inthe several views of the drawings the panel portions 24 and 25 are coped to provide rectangular openings 32 and 33. These openings are closed by means of formed plate members 34 and 35 which are similar in construction so that the description of one of them will suffice. While it is preferred to use formed plate members it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but that cast or forged members may be used if desired.

The upper portion of plate member 34 is generally rectangular in shape and is secured as by means of horizontal rivets 36 and vertical rivets 3! and 38 to the panel portion 24. The plate 34 below the top of the opening 32 is offset outwardly as indicated at 39 so as to lie substantially in the plane of the portion 24 for a part of its height. The plate 34 is again offset outwardly as indicated at 40 so that the portion 4| of the plate below the offset 40 extends through the opening 32. The'portion 4| at'each side merges into the portion of the plate 34 which is secured to the inside of the offset panel portion 24 as indicated at 42 and 43 in Fig. 5. Each side of the plate 34 along the bottom and by the rivets 48 and 49.

outwardly offset portion 4I o f the plate 34 and the vertical leg I8 of the bottom reinforcing angle by means of trunnions 5'! and 58. The

retainer 56 carries a roller 59 the axis of rotation of which is offset relative to-the axis of the trunnion as more clearly indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5=of the drawings. The roller 59 is adapted to engage the horizontal flange 19 of the track and for this purpose extends through a cope 50 formed in the horizontal flange of the bottom reinforcing angle.

The retainer 56 is formed with an upper curved wall 6 I- provided with a plurality of teeth 6-2 and carries 9.- lug 63 hereinafter referred to.

' A gear segment 64 is journalled' between the portion of the plate 34 formed by the offset portion 39 and the main plane of the door by means.

oftrunnions- 65 extending through plate 34 and 65; extending through thedepending leg 61 of a substantially Z-shaped bearing member 68 the upperfiange- 690i which is secured to the plate by means of the rivets 3B. The teeth 10 of the gearsegment I54 mesh with the teeth. 52 of the roller retainer56.

"A lever H is mounted upon the trunnion 65 and is retained and guided inits movement by meansoff an arcuate quadrant 72 secured at its upper end. in themain plane of the panel by means of one of the rivets 52 and at its lower end to the portion 24 of the panel by means of one of the rivets 38; As more clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings the portion of the lever adjacent to. trunnion 55' does not" extend substantially beyond the offset portion 4| of the plate '34, thereby conserving a substantial amount of space which was required by the levers of the lift mechanisms now in use.

A. roller retainer 13 is similarly journalled between the outwardly offset portion 4| of the plate 9-5 and the vertical leg l8 of the bottom reinforcing angle by means of alined trunnions 14: and 15. The retainer 13 also carries aroller 59-the axis of rotation of which is offset relative tothe trunnions l4 and 15. A lug 16 is formed on-retainer l3 J's-adapted to extend through one end of a connecting bar 11, the other end of whichi's similarly related-tolug 63 formed on retainer 55. The: connecting bar 11 insures simultaneous operation o'fithertwo roller retainers: andby Virtue of the described construction may be in the form of a flat strap since when effective it is. subjectedto tension rather than to compression.

The offset portions M of the plates 34 and 35 are-extended downwardly below the track 20 and formed into hook-shaped members 18 which are adapted-to embrace the depending flange 23 of the angle track to prevent accidental disengageshorter backing plate 54 is fastened to the panel v in the main plane thereof intermediate the back ing plates 59 and 5f as by means of rivets 55.

v 1.5. A roller retainer is journalled between thement of the lower portion of the door from the track.

When the door is in lowered position so that the horizontal flange I! of the bottom reinforcing angle I6 is frictionally seated upon the track 20 the parts of the lift mechanism are as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. To lift the door so as to transfer its. weight to the rollers 59 the operating'lever H is pulled downwardly in clockwise direction. Rotation is thereby imparted to the gear segment 64 which in turn causes counter-clockwise rotation of roller retainer 5.6, and elevation of the door. Corresponding. rotation is imparted to roller retainer form elevation oi the door is obtained. When the door is elevated the parts of the mechanism are as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Up-

on release of the lever at any point in the travel of the door the latter gravitates to frictional ensagement with. the trackv and the parts of the mechanism are again restored: to the position shown. in Fig; 1. of thedrawings.

The mechanism hereinabove described iseasi to operate and its" structure obtains a: substantial reductionin. the projection of the mechanism outwardly of the door. Space is thereby conserved so that the mechanism is capable of use upon railway house cars of. varying. widths; A single standard lift mechanism. is thereby secured. Moreover,- the: structure of the mechanism hereinabove describedso reduces the overall width. of the car through. themechanisms on opposite sides of: the car that the inside width of thecars can. be increased.without' placing anypart of the mechanism beyond. the tunnel clearance lines. A valuable increase. in the cubical capacity of railway house cars is thereby obtained.

Numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will be clear to those skilledin the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be comprebended within this invention which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. Lift mechanism for a sliding lift door com.- prising spaced rollers, retainers carrying: said rollers, means adapted toj'ournal said retainers on said door between the inner and outer planes thereof, said journal means being offset relative to the centers of said rollers, teeth on one of said retainers disposed inwardly of the outer face of said retainer, a gear segment adap'tedto be journalled on said door between theinner and outer planes thereof in meshing relationship with said retainer teeth, operating means mounted upon said gear segment outwardly thereof, and means connecting said retainers for simultaneous operation.

2. In a sliding door for railway house cars embodying a metallic panel, 'a gear segmentjournalled on said door, portions on' said panelbelow said gear segment offset outwardly relative to said segment; roller retainers in said offset portions, rollers carried bysaid retainers, means journalling'said retainers in said offset portions outwardly of the inner plane of said door, said means being ofi'set'relative to the centers of said rollers, teeth on one of said retainers, said gear segment meshing with said retainer teeth, a lever mounted upon said gear segment outwardly thereof, the lower portion of said lever extending outwardly not substantially beyond said-olfset portions, and means connecting said retainers for simultaneous operation.

3. In lift mechanism for a sliding door, a roller, a retainer carrying said roller, means adapted to journal said retainer on said door between the inner and outer plane thereof, said means being offset relative to the center of said roller, teeth on said retainer disposed inwardly of the outer face of said retainer, a gear segment adapted to be journalled on said door between the inner and outer planes thereof in meshing relationship with said retainer teeth, and an operating lever mounted upon said gear segment outwardly thereof.

WILFRED A. BEAUCHAMP. 

